Aftereffects
by Nishikikouji
Summary: They're free of the dome, but the survivors are left to deal with the aftereffects. Now that everything he knows has just fallen to pieces around him, Sakuya must learn to survive, especially now that he isn't exactly royalty anymore. (Un)fortunately, Oko, Anghel, and Leone are here to help. Sort of. Birdverse, takes place after BBL, hints of Holistar eventually.
1. Freedom

**Chapter 1: Freedom**

_Disclaimer: Ownership of Hatoful belongs to the stunning Moa, who continues to astound me with her wonderfulness._

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Sakuya hissed quietly to himself as his head bumped against the low ceiling of the tunnel. While birds' sense of smell was still practically nothing compared to a human's, Sakuya could still tell that the sewer-esque crawl-hole reeked. He vaguely wondered when it had last been used. An offshoot of the main exit, Leone had told them the other one simply led out right out from underneath the dome… which was most likely where the humans were camped out. Instead, this was the one the group of students and teachers had taken when they left.

Ahead of him marched Iwamine, with Nanaki – or, what had Leone called them? Isa and Hitori? – anyway, with Nanaki still holding the doctor at gunpoint. The bright yellow cockatiel led the way, and the two most insane members of the oddball party had the rear. The mongrel chattered away about pudding, while the Filipino kept on with whatever the hell he was always talking about. Blood and spores, probably. It made _no_ sense to Sakuya, at any rate.

Every step echoed through the tunnel, and for a second Sakuya imagined he heard the angry voices of humans behind him, but quickly shook off that idea. The door to the tunnel was thick and probably soundproof, and they had to have gone at _least_ a mile by now. He considered speaking up to ask Leone how much farther, but a wave of exhaustion rolled over him and he couldn't find the energy.

There was no room to fly, though Sakuya desperately wished to stretch his wings. They ached from disuse and fatigue, and were probably filthy. In fact, _everything_ about Sakuya right now was filthy. He was probably black with grime, dust, and the odd splotch of blood. For a second he wondered what his father would say if he saw his son right now – then shied away from that. He would have to tackle that sometime, and soon… but not now.

So. Tosaka was dead. Out of everything that happened, this fact echoed most throughout Sakuya's mind. He had blocked off any and all thoughts about Yuuya and his family, because that was too painful to deal with. Iwamine's betrayal (_because that's what it was, a betrayal of Sakuya's faith and respect and everything his father had told him_) was somehow not that surprising. He supposed it was because the doctor was so… _detestable_, in real life. The existence of a ghost in the school was frightening, but less so than everything else. Nanaki's and One's other identities were trivial.

But Tosaka. Suddenly, a torrent of memories spilled over him, and he stumbled.

Tosaka Hiyoko, one of the only humans he'd ever seen. Most humans kept to themselves these days. When Sakuya was eight, a pair of adult male humans, both members of the remaining human government, had paid a call to Sakuya's fath- the head of the Le Bel family. The young Sakuya had seen them and ran in fright, hiding under his nestbed, shivering hard. Seeing humans in pictures and on the news was _completely_ different than having them tower over you personally.

(_Sakuya remembered that he had been there for hours. Only his father knew where he had gone, and hadn't bothered coming for him. "A Le Bel must learn to face his fears and become strengthened by them," he had said to the terrified and trembling little boy when he had finally emerged_.)

Since then, Sakuya had seen, and met, a sparse few others, but all were adult, and never for long.

So when he had walked into the classroom and seen Tosaka for the first time, he had been understandably startled. He covered it up with a glance of total contempt and tried to regain his bearings.

She was smaller than the fully matured humans he had seen. She was almost _cute_… in a strange, different-species kind of way. Yellow hair reached her shoulders, her strange, spindly wings – no, arms – with weird protrusions she used like the feathers on the ends of bird wings to hold things and write disturbed him a little. Clear blue eyes danced as her mouth, soft and spongy, so gross, smiled. She had objected when Nanaki had revealed that Sakuya was to be president, calling something about nepotism. It was incorrect, of course. Nepotism meant giving power to a friend or relative. He had gotten the position because the school was sucking up to the Le Bels.

Forced time spent in her company (_classes, so boring_) had let him know her better, and he discovered she was loud, brash, and damned _strong_. (_And not afraid to throw someone out the window for causing trouble_.) He had found himself torn between annoyance, disgust, and an unwilling fondness for her. Despite her… peculiarities… she was unexpectedly kind, and not too awful on the drums. He respected those who had a talent for music.

He recalled the time she had walked in on him playing the piano (adapted, of course, for the use of birds), and instead of ridiculing him had complimented him. Quietly. It had given him a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, a mixture of warmth (_the same feeling listening to beautiful music instilled in him_) and a sick dread (_what would his father say, if he saw Sakuya playing the piano and conversing casually with such a low-born human?_).

Tosaka hadn't officially been a member of the student council _(she had joined the library staff immediately, surprising, for Sakuya hadn't even been sure if she could read_), but whenever Sakuya had been swamped over with work (_due to the fact that he was alone on the council, why hadn't anyone else joined? At first Sakuya had been sure it was because they were a nation of lazy and useless mongrels, but now he was starting to wonder if it had just been that no one wanted to be under him_) she had cheerfully given her assistance without him asking.

The last time he had seen her, she had cheerfully waved him goodbye and told him she couldn't wait to see him tomorrow. Now he knew where she had been going, and what had happened, and he desperately wished he'd stopped her. Not that he could have possibly _known_, of course, but…

His reverie was unexpectedly interrupted by the halt of those ahead of him and the appearance of another door. They were at the end of the tunnel, and beyond here lay freedom. He found himself oddly unwilling to leave, and was unsure why. Still, what option did he have? Stay and die, leave and freedom.

He chose the option that scared him the most.

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	2. Wake

_Disclaimer_: I no own hatoful. Moa own hatoful.

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Truthfully, Sakuya hadn't believed that anyone would come to the wake. Besides he and Maman, that is. The students of St. Pigeonations, even those who had been in the same class as, even considered friends of, Yuuya had not been told of his death. The situation was suspicious as it was, and the Dove Party was doing everything they could to keep it under wraps. Tosaka's and the headmaster's deaths, as well as Kawara's supposed one, were known (_except of course Kawara's mother, who had been told everything_), but excuses had been made and governments intervened.

Monsieur Le Bel would not be attending, of course, and if he was not Sakuya's elder siblings would not be either.

So Sakuya was expecting a quiet, awkward affair with only he and Maman (_with whom things were rather tense at the moment. Sakuya had told Maman immediately about his true parentage. He had expected confusion, yes, and surprise, but not horror. The elegant matriarch, trained in the ways of politics and public relations, had not outwardly shown her dismay, but it was there. Why, Sakuya had yet to understand completely, but it was another sharp pain to compile on top of all the others he had already accumulated)_, flanked by, of course, Albert, as well as Madam Le Bel's own bodyguard, Yamada Kayo, an unobtrusive-looking white-tailed kite.It had confused Sakuya, then, why a place had been rented.

As soon as he walked into the building he had understood.

The entire hall _(relatively small, of course, compared to Sakuya's mansion, but still_) was full. Not to the point of being uncomfortable, but there had to be at least forty or fifty people. Birds _and_ humans. In a sudden panic, Sakuya scanned the crowd for a face, any face, he recognized.

There, in the corner – Leone. Ranting to a group of slightly bewildered birds of varying species was Higure. And the fantail making a rather large fuss over by the tables of food had to be Okosan.

"Mère, qu'est-ce qui-" he began, before he was interrupted by a bright blue kingfisher who had just flitted up, followed by a much larger and more sober-looking heron. Albert moved a little closer to Sakuya.

"Excuse me," the kingfisher said, his voice as bright as his plumage. "Are you Yuuya's family?"

"Er, yes," Sakuya managed. "What – I mean, who–" His mother looked equally confused.

"Oh, shoot!" the kingfisher exclaimed. "Did he not tell you – oh, I suppose he wouldn't have – well, no offense, but he said that you-"

The heron interrupted, her voice the exact opposite of the kingfisher – calm, slow, and deep. "Chika, calm down. You're scaring the boy."

The kingfisher, Chika, Sakuya corrected himself, looked down, embarrassed.

"Sorry, sorry!" he apologized quickly. "I tend to just talk and talk and go on for forever, and I-"

"Chika," the heron repeated, a little more forcefully. "I apologize, Mr. Shirogane, Madam Le Bel. I am Elizabeth Archer, and this is Chika Walker." She bowed politely, as Sakuya noted the foreign names and Elizabeth's odd, almost formal, Japanese.

"You were friends of Yuuya?" Madam Le Bel asked curiously.

"Yes, ma'am," chirped Chika. "We were in training together, and we stayed in contact!"

"Chika, they will not-" Elizabeth began, but Sakuya cut her off.

"You are a member of the Dove Party!" Sakuya realized with a start.

_Are all of these people here for my brother?_ Sakuya thought, a strange feeling rising in his chest. _I hardly knew him, and yet everyone here…_

Chika jumped a little, his wings flapping. Elizabeth cocked her long neck, graceful and elegant in a different sort of way than Madam Le Bel. Sakuya had to fight the sudden urge to smile. The two foreigners were completely opposite in every way, and yet they fit perfectly.

"Yes, we are part of the European division. Has Yuuya told you, then?" Elizabeth asked, steadying herself.

Sakuya nodded. "A little, before he- I know he has been a field agent for a while, and the reason for his position at St. Pigeonations…"

"Is everyone here for him?" Madam Le Bel queried, and Sakuya frowned a little.

_What a strange question to ask. Why else would they be here? _Sakuya glanced at his mother, and blinked. She had her mask on, the expression she wore when she was dealing with especially straining politicians or other aristocracy_. Is she annoyed with them? Or does the low-class of the company here repulse her…?_

_She wouldn't have cared once._

The train of thought hit Sakuya like… well, a train.

_My mother once loved a commoner, loved him enough that she ignored their different classes, and her duties as a noble, to marry him. To have children with him._

_ I wonder when it was that she started to change…_

"Yuuchan made a lot of friends!" Chika trilled, bouncing up and down again. (_Albert and Yamada exchanged a brief look, and moved closer to their respective employers. It seemed they didn't completely trust the overly energetic kingfisher, though they remained silent as always.)_ "Some people here he worked with, some people he just knew from work, some people," he said, lowering his voice with a conspiratorial grin, "some people's lives he _saved_." Chika nodded cheerfully. "_Everybody_ loves Yuuchan!'

Elizabeth nudged him, and Chika added, "Well, not everybody. You either love him or hate him, I think." He shrugged. "It's his personality, I think."

Sakuya grinned wryly. "Believe me, I understand."

"Remember the pink dye?" Chika asked, laughing.

Elizabeth smiled. "How could I have forgetten? Kurokawa was furious for months. She swears that her feathers still have a pink tinge, though I admit I do not see it."

Chika opened his beak to respond, but Madam Le Bel spoke first. "Is this really the right atmosphere for a wake?" Her voice was harsh and a little annoyed.

For a second, no one said anything. It was Elizabeth who broke the silence. "There will be time enough for sadness tomorrow, at the funeral. Today we remember Sakazaki Yuuya as he was."

"Yuuchan was always cheerful and happy," Chika replied. "Do you think he would have wanted us to be anything else today?" His words were solemn, though, and he gave Sakuya's mother an understanding, and sad, smile.

Madam Le Bel gave a regal nod, but Sakuya still saw her mask. "I see. If you will excuse me?"

Without waiting for an answer, she left the group, heading for the door. Yamada immediately followed her.

"Did I make her mad?" Chika asked worriedly. "I didn't mean to, I just-"

"I… it's fine." Sakuya suddenly felt heavy. "There's just a lot going on, right now."

Elizabeth lightly brushed his side with her wing, and Sakuya realized that she was the same age as Yuuya.

_Her stoic and serene manner seems so adult, but she and Chika can't be much more than high school age. I wonder what their stories are. What everyone here's stories are. What led them to try to bridge the gap between humans and birds? Why did they join so young, like Yuuya? Why would the Dove Party accept them?_

_ I suppose they must be desperate, _he thought, a little sadly. _How many birds would risk their lives for a human?_

_ And how could I have been so blind, especially in regard to my own brother?_

_ My own mother, _Yuuya's_ own mother, can't even stay for his funeral. _

"Coooooo!" (Okosan knew he recognized this scent!) A huge white thing barreled into Sakuya. The French fantail found himself on the ground, Okosan sitting atop him.

"You should not dwell too long in the shadows of that which could not have been, Hallowed Magician of White," another familiar voice spoke. A red-breasted Luzon hopped up next to them. Chika was sniggering, and Elizabeth's eyes were wide.

_Great. Just what I need_. Sakuya groaned and let his head drop.

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Thanks much for reading! Ugh, I'm exhausted… I'm in a play, and we had two performances yesterday… I hope you'll forgive me for adding Chika and Elizabeth… I just feel like Yuuya would have made some friends during his time as an agent. He _is _kinda awesome, you know. They won't be main characters, but they may show up now and then.


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